1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for obtaining measurement data from metering systems, such as those for measuring electric, gas and water use and, more particularly, to a method of transferring data obtained over the Internet, the data being used for optimizing customer energy use via a set of optimizing algorithms in a real time framework.
The present invention further relates to a new and unique type of e-commerce enabling an internet company to use the existing internet as a structural backbone and communications conduit, to save money for both energy users and producers by utilizing the capabilities of an internet company to act as an internet portal between consumers at all levels and energy and power producers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous types automatic meter readers have been provided in the prior art wherein a signal from the meter is recorded and then transferred to a utility company. Most devices optically read the meter wheel as it revolves. Utility and other companies that provide electricity, gas and water have used a combination of technologies to perform these services such as hand held systems, optical systems, driveby systems, hard wired systems and even the power distribution line themselves. Regardless of the system the basic reason for utilization is to increase efficiency and reduce costs by the utility.
There are several devices and systems in the prior art for remote reading of meters. An example of such a system is described by Lumsden in U.S. Pat. No. 3,922,492. This patent describes a system for remotely reading, storing and transmitting the reading of a meter to a central computer. The computer automatically sends a signal by telephone to interrogate the meter which is fitted with a transponder. The stored information in the transponder is relayed back to the computer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,772 issued to Takeshi teaches a system in which a central computer terminal is connected to a series of remote computer terminals which have previously stored the meter readings. In Takeshi, the terminals replace the transponders of the Lumsden invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,394,540 issued to Willis uses a coded signal over the telephone network to interrogate a meter reader. This system involves a microprocessor as the meter reader, a telephone isolation device, a call answering device, various detection devices, a data transmitter and a modem.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,140,351 issued to Garcia uses a coherent fiber optic link which actually provides a visual signal of each digit of the meter. The visual image is then transferred to a central receiving location.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,161,182 issued to Merriam details a system in which utility computers are coupled by modem to the individual sites which have meter sending units. Each meter sending unit has a microprocessor which counts the pulses emitted for each unit consumption of power and stores this count in RAM. This count is transformed into a tone which is transmitted over the phone lines to the central computer.
A wireless telemetry system to provide real time reading and control of meters using the existing wireless networks connecting meter transmitting units and central receiver units is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,748,104 issued to Argyroudis. In the described embodiment the remote metering unit is a basic transceiver coupled to a preexisting conventional electromechanical utility meter by an interface device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,459 issued to Lee describes an algorithm for reading revenue from an electronic register by reading, tabulating, storing and transmitting the data to a central site.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,808,558 issued to Meek describes a universal data gathering system that can interact with different types of operating systems. It consists of three elements. The first element is a universal transponder which accumulates the data, the second element is a meter interface unit which connects the transponder to the data gathering system, and the third element is a universal data reader. Each part of the system can be polled by any remote unit which responds with the appropriate protocol. This invention hopes to overcome the diverse operating protocols used by different meter companies.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,852,658 issued to Knight describes a remote automatic monitoring and recording system which comprises an electronic meter reader, a data concentrator, a telephone interface, a billing computer and a telephone modem. Knight uses three telephone lines to operate the system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,767,790 issued to Jovellana also describes an automatic utility meter reader and monitor for electric, gas and water. This invention provides communication from the utility to the meter unit using a standard computer modem link which transmits commands from the utility to the meter reading system. The automatic meter unit has a compiler for interpreting commands from the host computer unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,751,797 issued to Saadeh uses a plurality of computer modems connected to a single computer and to a series of automatic meter reading devices. The single computer sequentially polls each meter reading device using the appropriate modem link. This link allows the system to send control data to the meter reading devices and also allows the meter reading devices to send data back to the central computer.
Several companies (Cellnet, Aim Technologies, Itron) have developed the technology and devices that allow the energy meter to be read remotely. Most devices read the meter remotely and then transmit the signal either by hardwire, by public telephone, by wireless system, by cellular phone and even by the power transmission wire itself. Currently used technology for transmission of the data read by the meters is shown in FIG. 1. This figure illustrates a power company 10 providing power to a customer via the customer meter 12. The customer meter 12 monitors the amount of power being provided by the power company 10. Connected to the customer meter 12 is a meter reading module 14. The meter reading module 14 reads the customer meter 12 to determine the amount of power used by the customer. The meter reading module 14 then provides a signal indicative of the determined amount of power back to the power generating utility 10. The signal provided by the meter reading module 14 is provided to the power generating utility via any one of a private hardware network 16, a wireless communications network 18, a public communications network 20 and existing electrical power lines 24. A technology commonly called X-10 technology allows digital signals to be transmitted over the existing electric wiring in the building.
There are also several companies that are currently using a bill presentment process over the internet where the company sends the customer an e-mail including a bill over the internet. The customer can see and review their bills on the computer screen. This technology is not specifically geared to the utility system but is designed for any type of paper bill and is part of the general evolution to the paper-less society of electronic billing. The Edocs system is designed to utilize existing payment technologies that exist in online commerce today in which the customers can elect to pay their bill using various electronic check and credit card systems.
While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.